Broncos' Run Game: Harvey's Explosive Potential

0:00On April 18th, in 2025, the NFL saw explosive runs defined as 12 yards or more, hitting the top 10th percentile. Leaguewide, there were 1104 of those beasts, racking up over 21,900 yards at 19.9 yards per. Carey, that made up 34% of all rushing yards. For the Broncos running backs, they notched just 23 explosive runs total. The Ravens and Dolphins led the pack with over 10% of their RB runs exploding like that, while the chiefs scraped the bottom at 3.2%. Broncos' RBs hit 7.4% on zone runs, 8% on gap schemes, and 5.4% on duo. Quarterbacks like Bow-Nicks had an easier time with 13, since scrambles pop off more often. Fans and analysts point fingers at the runner for those big gains, crediting missed tackles or juks over the line's work. J.K. Dobbins led Broncos' backs with 17 explosive runs. Julio McLaughlin had three, RJ Harvey just four, on 146 carries for A, weak 2.7% rate, that put him near the bottom league wide.

1:09Digging deeper, Harvey's four long runs all came from breaking multiple tackles, but his illusivity lag too, forcing missed tackles on only 17. Percent of carries below Dobbins at 20% and the league average of 17% for high volume guys. College highlights didn't translate against NFL speed. As draft season heats up, this sparks talk of grabbing a back who sparks explosives right away in the pros. Harvey could level up in year 2, but the Broncos might not wait to juice that run game.